Google's library under debate

A panel discussion at the New York public library on Thursday saw Google’s attempts to create a massive digital library come under debate. Strong words were said, some calling the attempt "altruistic, lofty and wonderful", whilst others accused Google of "appropriating material they don't own for a commercial enterprise." Soon, we will likely see the "Google Book Search" court battle raging. Earlier this year, the author’s guild and the Association of American publishers (AAP) sued Google over its book search project, claiming that the company is scanning copyrighted work without permission.

"The purpose of this programme is to help people find (books) - to help people discover them," said David Drummond, Google's vice-president of corporate development. "We believe very strongly that this is fair use under copyright. This is all about discovery."